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Posted by: wayner Sep 28 2016, 06:47 PM

I've got a 1975 2.0 engine on carbs.

Engine is in good shape, but I might go to a 6 in the future. In the mean time where are the biggest HP bangs for the buck for my 2.0?

(Assume everything is stock other than the carbs, and going back to fuel injection is not an option)

Thanks in advance

Posted by: messix Sep 28 2016, 06:56 PM

tune up and valve adjust

back date the heavy bumpers

get non '75-76 heat exchangers/exhaust.

learn to enjoy the momentum driving experience

Posted by: wayner Sep 28 2016, 07:49 PM

Good ideas
+check
+check
+soon ( great idea)
-need more around town zip (it's great in the twisty hills)

What's next on the scale of cost to benefit?

Posted by: Coondog Sep 28 2016, 07:54 PM

Take it to Orignal Customs in Grand Rapids MI...........

Posted by: Dave_Darling Sep 28 2016, 08:01 PM

Tangerine Racing header. With the heat exchanger option if you need window defogging.

Be sitting down when you check the prices. Skill like Chris' does not come cheap.

--DD

Posted by: SirAndy Sep 28 2016, 08:11 PM

Weight, both yours and the car.

Given the stock HP numbers every pound of weight reduction will give you free HP ...

Posted by: matthepcat Sep 28 2016, 08:39 PM

Agree ^^

My 1.3 torque-less rotary felt a marked difference shedding the late bumpers. Both handling and exceleration. Bolt on power is probably headers and re-tuning your carbs for less back pressure.

Posted by: wayner Sep 28 2016, 08:42 PM

The car will be a fibreglass fender& bumpered GT so weight is gone ( and I'm skinny)
So, what can I do to the engine short of a fire breathing monster?

My last one was a Raby 2316, but I don't want that level of investment, I just want to wake it up a bit

Maybe take a zero off the price of a full blown RAT motor

Looking for engine ideas. What do they respond best to?

I could go cam, heads, displacement and compression but together that gets pricy. What my incremental staring point without diving into the deep end again?

The header and carb tuning suggestion is a good example.
I'll do that. I might even stop there

What's next just above that.

Just cam? Clean up heads? Is there much to be gained there alone or will it require a bunch more parts to make the cam work? Or is shaving the heads for a small boost in compression a better idea than a cam?

Other? Or is much more fruitless for the cost/ effort without doing everything?

Posted by: audio_file Sep 28 2016, 09:03 PM

Ignition. At the very least pertronix, next step Mallory type ignition system or some kind of upgraded dizzy to get the best, most consistent spark you can. Won't be huge gains, but it's an easy and fairly inexpensive way to get the most out of what you have.

Cam will make a noticeable difference, as would flat top pistons (euro spec mahles) but then you're getting into splitting the case...

Posted by: Bob L. Sep 28 2016, 09:37 PM

Bump it up to a 2056 along with the head work and exhaust.

Posted by: wayner Sep 28 2016, 09:55 PM

Well that looks like the bases are covered. Thanks!

I have an MSD box recovered from an earlier project. I don't know why I hadn't thought of using that

I'll have to educate myself on Pistons in case I go that far.nothing crazy though, it's got to be reliable, and I don't want the expense of new jugs

Posted by: abes914 Sep 28 2016, 10:19 PM

How about getting lighter wheels and summer tires...
Or even lighten up your flywheel?

Those are part of my wish list

Posted by: SirAndy Sep 28 2016, 10:33 PM

Talk to McMark from Original Customs, he has a stock 1.7L with a turbo kit that he put together.

That thing is a blast to drive ...

Posted by: McMark Sep 29 2016, 07:25 AM

Thanks Coondog and Andy.

Aftermarket FI and a turbo kit will wake it up nicely.

Posted by: Coondog Sep 29 2016, 08:07 AM

Fiqured I owed you....

Posted by: Vacca Rabite Sep 29 2016, 10:12 AM

Web 494 cam and matching lifters
96mm KB flat top pistons.
Bore out your stock jugs.
2L valves.
No head gasket.
Eurorace header.

90% of your money will be in the heads.
This was my engine before I started the EFI project. It was decidedly woke up VS a stock 2L. These days you can get way better heads done through Len's shop.

Zach

Posted by: wayner Sep 29 2016, 10:31 AM

Thanks!

While aftermarket rods are nice, is there a practical power and Rpm limit that the stock rods are safe within?

Posted by: McMark Sep 29 2016, 10:47 AM

Stock rods are fine as long as you're not pushing the RPM limit.

Posted by: wayner Sep 29 2016, 10:54 AM

I'm starting to wonder if my plans will look like this:

Stage 1 - exhaust and ignition

Stage 2 - sell,off my 2.0'heads, get some better ones and just do the top end
( but then I'll bet I'm not that far off the cost of a full rebuild)

Posted by: McMark Sep 29 2016, 11:03 AM

Yup, heads are the biggest cost. 914 2.0 heads are the best design of the stock bunch. Type4Store LE heads are the next step up, at around $2500. Add in 96mm pistons and cylinders and you're pretty much in the full rebuild ballpark.

Posted by: wayner Sep 30 2016, 06:47 AM

Aside from the nose of the car, where else do,people mount oil coolers?

Is there a second popular alternative setup?

Posted by: barefoot Sep 30 2016, 07:00 AM

2056 P&C set:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/251635106531?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Posted by: Dave_Darling Sep 30 2016, 01:56 PM

The next most popular locations seem to be on the engine lid, or under the rear trunk floor.

The engine lid location keeps your lines short, which is a positive. The cooler can also get a little air flow from the engine cooling fan, drawing air into the engine bay. The downsides are that the cooler is above the engine, which can make oil changes more "interesting", and that you pre-heat a bit of your cooling air and intake air. Also the cooler will live in a moderately-warm environment, reducing its effectiveness somewhat.

Rich at HPH in Redwood City has recommended this type of setup in the past.


The location under the trunk floor keeps everything out of the way. Plus the cooler is pretty close to the same level as the engine sump, meaning you don't have oil moving one way or the other on its own. But under the trunk floor tends to be a very warm environment, with not much air flow. This makes the cooler much less effective. You can combat that to some extent by making the cooler larger, and putting a fan on it, but there's only so much that can be done.

The front mounted cooler is the best location as far as cooling goes. It does have some downsides, including long (more costly) lines, the need to cut holes for the lines, the requirement for ducting to get air in and out of the cooler, and so on. But for cooling, it is absolutely the best.

The cooler in my car is under the rear trunk floor.

--DD

Posted by: wayner Sep 30 2016, 04:47 PM

Great insite. Thanks!

Posted by: Chris Pincetich Sep 30 2016, 06:01 PM

Header and light flywheel feel great!
I made a custom intake to get colder air from up by the relay board, and we all know cold-air intakes are good for +0.005 HP! Or more...
I always say a header is the best bolt-on upgrade, but that's because I don't have McMark's turbo+FI

Posted by: wayner Oct 16 2016, 08:04 AM

I've been thinking. If my 2.is as solid as I think, rather than a small bump from2000 to 2056, what if I go all out on heads and cam, keeping my cylinders and/or pistons

What's the recipe?